Yorkshire invests to stop sewer flooding

Yorkshire Water is spending £120M to upgrade its wastewater treatment works and sewer network as part of a £120M five-year programme to further protect homes in the region from the misery of sewer flooding. Work will be undertaken at the company's sewage treatment sites across the region, where wastewater is treated before being returned to local water sources.

The utility intends to enhance the sewer network so it is better able to deal with the increasing flows of wastewater. It will also install more pumping stations to force sewage out into the sewer in the road, when it would otherwise back up into customer's properties.

Hundreds of customers who might otherwise have been at potential risk from sewer flooding, are expected to benefit from the programme. The likelihood of sewer flooding during storms is also expected to be reduced.

The programme has started with a six-week £100,000 project at Kirbymoorside, near York, to improve the sewerage system and prevent internal sewer flooding to local properties during heavy rain. This work is being carried out by contractor Mott MacDonald Bentley,

Mark Pye, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: "We believe that sewer flooding is unacceptable. And whilst we can't tackle the problem by ourselves, this latest investment underlines our commitment to playing our part in helping to reduce the risk."